“Forging” refers to the working and/or shaping of a solid-state material by plastic deformation. Forging is distinguishable from the other primary classifications of solid-state material forming operations, i.e., machining (shaping of a workpiece by cutting, grinding, or otherwise removing material from the workpiece) and casting (molding liquid material that solidifies to retain the shape of a mold). Forgeability is the relative capacity of a material to plastically deform without failure. Forgeability depends on a number of factors including, for example, forging conditions (e.g., workpiece temperature, die temperature, and deformation rate) and material characteristics (e.g., composition, microstructure, and surface structure). Another factor that affects the forgeability of a given workpiece is the tribology of the interacting die surfaces and workpiece surfaces.
The interaction between die surfaces and workpiece surfaces in a forging operation involves heat transfer, friction, and wear. As such, insulation and lubrication between a workpiece and forging dies are factors influencing forgeability. In forging operations, friction is decreased by the use of lubricants. However, prior forging lubricants have various deficiencies, particularly in the context of hot forging titanium alloys and superalloys. The present disclosure is directed to lubrication processes for decreasing the friction between dies and workpieces during forging operations that overcome various deficiencies of prior forge lubrication methods.